shovelhead/four plugs

hey guys so i have 74 shovel,loud ticking when hot is that the pushrods that need adjustment?so my shovel got 2 coils and four plugs?i dont see that anywere else,how come?i run points,plugs have 30 gap.is that good or should they be more like 40 gap?thanks

hey guys so i have 74 shovel,loud ticking when hot is that the pushrods that need adjustment?so my shovel got 2 coils and four plugs?i dont see that anywere else,how come?i run points,plugs have 30 gap.is that good or should they be more like 40 gap?thanks

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The ticking when hot could be the push rods needing adjustment, or it could be that they are solid lifters and will always be noisy. Checking is the only way to know. Some use heavier oil (60 or 70) in Shovels to quiet them down. Two plugs in each cylinder is for better flame propagation in the hemispherical combustion chamber. A popular performance modification. A .030 gap is ok with points. Electronic ign. is about 40.

thanks for the info
i run straight 50 oil,solid push rods cant be adjusted?
should i be using heavier oil?
thanks

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There's as many opinions on what weight oil is best in a Shovel as there are oil threads on the web. I use 50 all year long in Ga. because I can find it easy.
Solid lifters can be adjusted to zero lash cold, which is different than hydraulic adjustment.

thanks guys
so yeah i got exhaust leak,my pipes got one bolt on there,drag pipes i put new gaskets but still leaking,should i double up on gaskets?
should i get a pro to adjust my push rods?
he says it takes him 20 minutes,charges me 40$$
can i do this myself?

thanks guys
so yeah i got exhaust leak,my pipes got one bolt on there,drag pipes i put new gaskets but still leaking,should i double up on gaskets?
should i get a pro to adjust my push rods?
he says it takes him 20 minutes,charges me 40$$
can i do this myself?

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Not knowing your mechanical ability, and the price of $40, I'd have the pro do it. They you can be sure if you have solid or hydraulic lifters and know the procedure for adjusting. Also ask his opinion on the exhaust gaskets. There are several shovelhead exhaust fixes on the market. Be VERY careful with that one bolt in each port. The alum strips easily and it's an expensive fix.

thanks guys
so yeah i got exhaust leak,my pipes got one bolt on there,drag pipes i put new gaskets but still leaking,should i double up on gaskets?
should i get a pro to adjust my push rods?
he says it takes him 20 minutes,charges me 40$$
can i do this myself?

Click to expand...

Ultra Copper RTV and the right torque should solve the exhaust leak, line every thing up first and start at the head and work back to the exhaust hangars, as far as the 40 bucks to adjust the push rods to me that aint bad tho you may ask him to write down detailed instructions for you:s

Just a thought, replace the exhaust bolts with studs. Use the laminated gaskets (copper/fiber/copper) and start at the head and tighten the rest after you have the head bolt/stud nut torqued down. The lifter noise is almost a given with a Shovel, the expansion of the cylinder is greater than the expansion of the lifter/pushrod length so after the engine reaches operating temp the ticking is there. You might check with Tank about if a straight weight synthetic can be used in the Shovel, personally I don't see why not. This would no doubt decrease the operating temp and improve the overall riding experience. My old 76 was noisey with the original lifters so I went to the solid lifters to get the better top-end performance. Good luck....